Dr. Sangmok Kang of Pusan National University in South Korea is currently visiting the Department for collaborative research with Professor Subhash Ray in the area of productivity and efficiency analysis. Dr. Kang is a a Professor of Economics back in his university in Korea and served as the Director of the Institute of Management and Economics there. In the past he has been a visiting scholar at Oregon State University, Purdue University, and University of Chicago. His principal areas of research are energy, the environment, and international trade policies. His applied research is focused on Korea and China. He has published a number of papers in well known journals including Journal of Productivity Analysis, Energy Economics, Journal of Environmental Economics, Ecological Economics, and Environment and Development Economics.
Announcements
Department of Economics and Human Rights Institute seek to fill joint position
The Department of Economics and the Human Rights Institute (HRI) at the University of Connecticut seek to fill a tenure track faculty position in Economics and Human Rights at the Assistant or Associate Professor level beginning August, 2011. Candidates must demonstrate the potential for research excellence in Economics and Human Rights and willingness to contribute to the development of economics courses appropriate for the new human rights major. Teaching responsibilities on the graduate and undergraduate levels will be in both the Department of Economics and the Human Rights Institute.
Minimum qualifications include the completion of all requirements for a Ph.D. in Economics by August 22, 2011; demonstrated excellence in research in economics and human rights; the ability to develop appropriate courses for human rights curriculum; and a teaching background. Equivalent foreign degrees are acceptable. Preferred qualifications include the ability to contribute through research, teaching, and/or public engagement to the diversity and excellence of the learning experience.
This is a full time, 9 month, tenure track position. Salary and benefits are competitive. Rank and salary will be commensurate with background, qualifications, and experience.
To apply, please submit a letter of interest that describes how your work relates to human rights, a CV, three letters of reference, and a writing sample by December 1, 2010 to http://www.econjobmarket.org/. Screening will begin immediately, with interviews planned for the ASSA meetings in Denver.
The University of Connecticut is an EEO/AA employer. We encourage applications from under-represented groups, including minorities, women, and people with disabilities.
Department is seeking to fill three faculty openings
The Department of Economics at the University of Connecticut seeks to fill three tenure-track faculty positions at the Assistant Professor level beginning August, 2011 in the following subfields: Econometrics (Search# 2011149), Renewable Resources and Conservation/Environmental Economics (Search# 2011150), and Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics (Search# 2011151). Responsibilities include developing and/or maintaining a strong research program in the appropriate subfields and teaching/advising graduate and undergraduate students
Minimum qualifications include the completion of all requirements for a Ph.D. in Economics by August 22, 2011; demonstrated excellence in scholarly research in appropriate subfields; and teaching experience. Equivalent foreign degrees are acceptable. Preferred qualifications include the ability to contribute through research, teaching, and/or public engagement to the diversity and excellence of the learning experience.
These are full time, 9 month, tenure-track positions. Salary and benefits are competitive. Salary will be commensurate with background, qualifications, and experience.
To apply, please submit CV, sample of research (including thesis abstract for ABDs), and three letters of recommendation by December 1, 2010 online at http://www.econjobmarket.org/. Screening will begin immediately, with interviews planned for the ASSA meetings in Denver.
The University of Connecticut is an EEO/AA employer. We encourage applications from under-represented groups, including minorities, women, and people with disabilities.
Suleyman Kal joins department as Assistant Professor in Residence
S. Hilmi Kal from the Graduate Center of City University of New York (CUNY) has joined the department this Fall as Assistant Professor in Residence. His expertise is in financial economics, non-linear econometrics and macroeconomics. His research focuses on the implementation of non-linear econometric modeling to financial and foreign exchange markets.
At UConn, he is teaching intermediate macroeconomics as well as upper level undergraduate field courses such as international finance and labor economics.
Alumnus creates scholarship for Economics undergraduates
Most students begin their careers in earnest when they graduate from college. But Ross Mayer (BA Economics 1970) started his career in college, selling life insurance policies to students, Storrs residents and others in Connecticut and New York. He was so good at it that Connecticut General Life Insurance Company hired him right out of UConn, eventually making him a branch manager in Boston. Ten years later, he set out on his own.
His commitment to learning the business – and to connecting with his clients – defined his career. A full-service financial planner who is an associate of Commonwealth Financial Group, a MassMutual agency in Boston, he recently established a President’s Challenge Award for a UConn economics student in need.
Mayer had made a planned gift to UConn earlier, after he received a diagnosis of terminal prostate cancer. But with the help of a UConn Foundation development officer, who, Mayer says, “really had the kids at UConn at heart,” he created the scholarship to have an impact now, during his lifetime.
For a complete story, see Our Moment, the UConn Foundation’s e-newsletter.
Start of academic year message from the Department Head
Hi everyone,
I hope everyone’s semester is off to a good start. It has been an interesting summer with numerous developments. Here’s a quick update on the new academic year.
Joining our graduate program this year are 12 new PhD students and 25 MA students.
Two new Assistant Professors in Residence have joined us this year. Joseph Rebello is from UMass at Amherst and Hilmi Kal is from CUNY. We also have three visiting scholars: Ossama El-Feel is from Alexandria University in Egypt, Sang Mok Kang is from Pusan National University in South Korea, and Xiafang Dong is a PhD student from China.
We’re searching for four new faculty. Three at the Assistant Prof level in econometrics, environmental economics, and macro/money, and one at the Assistant or Associate level in human rights (joint with the Human Rights Institute). In addition, Ag Econ is searching for someone in applied econometrics, and Urban and Community Studies Program is searching for a new director in a number of disciplines including economics. If we include Mike Shor (joining us in Fall, 2011) to the list, we might have five to seven new economists at UConn next year. While this won’t make up for all of our losses in the last decade or so, it will be a good start toward rebuilding.
The construction of our new building has started, as I’m sure you can tell from the activity on your right hand side as you walk from Monteith to the Library. The expected date of completion is Fall, 2012.
Have a great year,
Metin Cosgel
Egyptian Professor visits the department for the Fall term
The department welcomes a visitor from Egypt until Christmas. Ossama Elfeel is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Commerce, Alexandria University. He received his Ph.D. degree from Alexandria University in 2006. His research interest include labor economics and monetary policy. He authored a book titled “The Outlook of Investment in Human Resources,” as well as many other book chapters in the fields of microeconomics, macroeconomics, resource economics and international trade. He has also advised a number of MSc and PhD students.
Ossama is currently a post-doc visiting scholar at the Department of Economics. He has arrived at UConn in mid-July for a 5-month stay with the objective of gaining some exposure to the research and education activities at UConn. He has enjoyed the warm welcome of his colleagues in the department and their willingness to cooperate and help. He is currently conducting research on the demographic problem and on the monetary policy in Egypt. He will also be auditing some graduate classes. He is enjoying the good weather in this time of the year and is bracing for the winter.
Construction of Monteith replacement is on
Finally, construction for the long awaited Arjona and Monteith replacements has begun. While the erection of the classroom-only building next to the Student Union has been steadily progressing, the second building has just started last week. Located between the Babbidge Library and the Hawley Armory (at the location of the “old Co-op”), it will have four floors. The first, pictured on the right (click for a larger view), will have classrooms, along with part of the second floor. Economics will share space with Linguistics on the third floor. It is scheduled to be ready for the Fall 2012 term.
Update: More about this on the UConn Today blog.
Prof. Cunningham retires from UConn
Prof. Steve Cunningham will not be returning to the classroom this fall. He is retiring, effective September 1, to take the position of Director of Research and Education at the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER).
With humble beginnings somewhat analogous to UConn’s own CCEA (which he founded), the AIER began in a faculty office at MIT in 1933. MIT Vice President Vannevar Bush proposed an independent, objective, unbiased economic research organization offering its results directly to the public. The onset of the Great Depression had suggested the need for a research organization to inquire into the wide range of economic, social, and monetary developments that had contributed to the catastrophic economic contraction. The hope was that the development and use of scientific procedures of inquiry would be useful in avoiding a repetition of the disaster. To ensure objectivity, the AIER was created and funded so as to ensure its independence from special-interest groups. Currently the AIER is involved in research involving forecasts, impact studies, policy analysis, and methodology, primarily for the purpose of facilitating decision making, rather than influencing policy.
At the end of World War II, the AIER was relocated to more spacious accommodations-an English-style manor on 100 acres in the heart of the Massachusetts Berkshires. The E.C. Harwood Library was built in 1962 on the hillside below the Main House to accommodate research staff and its extensive library collection. This 10,000 square-foot building was renovated in 2002 and contains the principal offices for the AIER research and support staff.
The Institute employs economists at all levels, and also draws on scholars from academia, government, and private concerns. The organization offers numerous fellowships, internships, and scholarships. It has its own extensive publishing operations, producing a number of periodicals, books, and monographs.
In a note to the faculty, Professor Cunningham writes, “As you can imagine, this has not been an easy decision for me. I feel a good deal of loyalty and pride in the University, and feel that I have played some part it its progress. Besides my work in the Department and classroom, I was founding director of the CCEA and played an integral role in the UConn 2000 Committee which succeeded in getting a billion dollars of new funding for capital improvements across the campus. I testified before the State Assembly, and was involved in numerous State initiatives. I also feel enormous respect, loyalty, and friendship to my colleagues at UConn, with relationships developed over so many years and so much shared experience. I also owe so much to professionals like Rosanne, who have kept things going so smoothly-organizing, filling gaps, solving problems, keeping me pointed in the right direction-while maintaining such a friendly atmosphere. Most of all, working with such talented students has been truly one of the greatest gifts of my life. One does not walk away from so much without regrets.”
Professor Cunningham will continue to reside in Manchester, Connecticut, and will commute to the campus in Massachusetts. He hopes to maintain a close relationship to everyone at UConn.
Prof. Zimmermann appointed to Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Prof. Zimmermann has been appointed to the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis as Assistant Vice President of Research Information. Beyond regular research activities, he will be involved in the information and data provision of the Bank, including its flagship FRED database.
Prof. Zimmermann will join the Bank after the Spring 2011 term.